1 killed, 26 wounded in Kenya twin blast

Kilifi, Kenya (PANA) - One person was killed and 26 wounded after twin grenade explosions in the tourism hotspots of Mtwapa, 15 km outside Mombasa, and another one at a bar within the Mombasa Municipal Council, officials said Saturday.

Coast Provincial Commissioner Ernest Munyi said two persons were seriously injured when a suspected grenade explosion hit the Stadium Inn, near the Tononoka grounds in Mombasa town.

A separate attack targeted Christian worshipers in Mtwapa, Kilifi County, which has one of the highest concentrations of the coast region’s tourist amusement hotspots.

One person was killed during the attack on the worshippers and three others were critically wounded, Munyi said. The 26 people were mostly wounded during the explosion.

This is the first major terrorism incident to hit Mombasa since 2002, when terrorists attacked an Israeli hotel in Kikambala, killing 15 people.

Police said a rescue operation was underway and several injured people were being rushed to hospital.

Lined with lavish sand beaches, which remains its most-prized attraction, the region hosts most of the million-plus tourists visiting Kenya each year.

There have been attempts by extremist groups to attack the region, but most of the attempts have been thwarted, including one in which a most-wanted terrorist, who was once listed on the US Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), escaped a police dragnet.

The latest attack comes a fortnight after a series of coordinated explosions hit a busy upcountry bus station in Nairobi.

Kenya’s Anti-Terrorism Police Unit, which has been most-active in the region, has not issued any statement on the latest attacks.
-0- PANA AO/SEG 31Mar2012